1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection member, a method of manufacturing the same and a connection structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been known a variety of heater members in which conductive threads are used for a part of threads configuring woven and knitted fabrics and electric current is applied to the conductive threads to generate heat and to thus increase the temperature. The heater members are used for various applications. For example, a seat for a vehicle, particularly automobile has been known in which a heater member is adhered on a backside of a covering material such as seat cushion and can warm a passenger from a lower side and the like under low temperature conditions such as in winter. In addition, the heater member is configured such that an end portion of the heater member is connected with a connection member, conductive threads of a conductive fabric are electrically connected to conductive wires of the connection member and the electric current is applied from a power supply to the conductive threads via the conductive wires, so that the conductive threads generate heat and the temperature of the conductive fabric is thus increased.
As described above, members having various structures have been known, as the connection member that is connected to apply the electric current to the conductive fabric and to thus increase the temperature thereof. For example, a heat generation and retention member has been known which has a first conductor, a second conductor having a resistance value smaller than that of the first conductor and provided on the first conductor and a power supply wire connected to the second conductor (for example, refer to JP-UM-A-3119584). JP-UM-A-3119584 describes that the entire heat generation surface uniformly generates heat and does not burn the covering material due to the local high temperatures. Also, a heat generation seat has been known in which nichrome wires serving as electrodes are enclosed at both ends of a fiber product having conductivity and electrode plates are connected to ends of the electrodes (for example, refer to JP-A-2006-127779).
However, if the heat generation and retention member described in the above JP-UM-A-3119584 is used as the heater member of a vehicle seat, when the covering material, to which the heat generation and retention member is adhered, and the other covering material are sewn to manufacture a seat cover, the power supply wire, which is connected to the second conductor in advance, becomes an obstacle, so that it is difficult to handle. Also, it is not easy to connect the power supply wire after manufacturing the seat cover. Further, according to the heat generation seat described in JP-A-2006-127779, the nichrome wires (connection members) are enclosed at both ends of the fiber product and then the electrode plates are connected to the ends of the wires. Accordingly, when the electrode plates are connected after manufacturing the seat cover, it is not easy to perform the connection operation.